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ancient lobster posted:
Sure, here's a tip: don't use wood for a fishtank lid. Even if you get the pieces cut straight enough to fit together properly, humidity will eventually cause the wood to swell and warp, the seams to split, etc.
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Dec 28, 2010 19:52
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kid sinister posted:Sure, here's a tip: don't use wood for a fishtank lid. Even if you get the pieces cut straight enough to fit together properly, humidity will eventually cause the wood to swell and warp, the seams to split, etc. Ok, thanks. What would be a better way of going about a project like this?
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Dec 28, 2010 20:37
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You could use wood, just seal the poo poo out of it with kind of lacquer. See boats.
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Dec 28, 2010 20:45
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ancient lobster posted:Ok, thanks. What would be a better way of going about a project like this? If you had the tools, the skills, and the scrap wood (plywood would be best) lying around then I would say go for it but since you don't then I would recommend just buying an aquarium hood, maybe used through craigslist.
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Dec 28, 2010 21:00
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ease posted:You could use wood, just seal the poo poo out of it with kind of lacquer. See boats. With plywood boats, it's often just sealed with thinned epoxy until the surface is "saturated" and then covered with paint or varnish. MDF or even OSB are also more resistant to warping in high humidity.
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Dec 28, 2010 21:40
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sixide posted:MDF or even OSB are also more resistant to warping in high humidity. But they do literally swell like a sponge. If I were going to build an aquarium hood I would probably use 1/2 plywood and seal it with polyurethane. You don't have to get carried away with the finish, just put on a few even coats.
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Dec 29, 2010 02:48
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wormil posted:But they do literally swell like a sponge. Thanks for all the advice, I'll keep these things in mind. I realized I'm going to be staying with my uncle in a few weeks,and he does woodworking. So I'll ask him what he thinks, and maybe he'll be able to help me with the assembly. (I'd buy a hood, but commercial aquarium hoods won't accommodate the light I'm using.)
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Dec 29, 2010 04:25
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I live and work out of an industrial space and need to start upgrading my power tools in the near future. I build sets for photography, and obviously photo equipment is highly vulnerable to dust, plus I'm tired of having everything I own covered in sawdust every time I work on something. I don't really know much about tools, I just use them, what is the best way to control dust? Buy stuff that hooks up to a standard shop vac (which I have already)? I need to get a sander in the near future, then probably replace my circular saw and other basic stuff. Any specific recommendations or things I should look for?
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Dec 31, 2010 01:19
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The best way to control dust is probably a combination of dust extraction system, large air cleaners (you can make these from furnace filters and large electric blowers), and keeping your shop at a lower pressure than the rest of your dwelling. In the end, it's still a lost battle.
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Dec 31, 2010 02:23
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ancient lobster posted:Thanks for all the advice, I'll keep these things in mind. I realized I'm going to be staying with my uncle in a few weeks,and he does woodworking. So I'll ask him what he thinks, and maybe he'll be able to help me with the assembly. You could look at "starboard" or one of the other composite wood products. They can be a little more spendy than wood, but are made for marine environments. Any boat store should sell them, Starboard is a brand name.
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Dec 31, 2010 03:53
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The clothes drier in my house seems to work, in that it turns on and everything, but it doesn't actually dry things very well. It basically tumbles and gets hot in there, but that doesn't seem actually dry anything. Are there any specific things I should check (not including lint trap and exhaust, which was the first thing I thought and checked)? If its just weak, is there any way to supercharge it? All the sites I can find mostly recommend the exhaust or the motor, neither of which are the problem here.
TheQuietWilds fucked around with this message at 07:26 on Jan 1, 2011 |
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Jan 1, 2011 07:24
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TheQuietWilds posted:The clothes drier in my house seems to work, in that it turns on and everything, but it doesn't actually dry things very well. It basically tumbles and gets hot in there, but that doesn't seem actually dry anything. Are there any specific things I should check (not including lint trap and exhaust, which was the first thing I thought and checked)? If its just weak, is there any way to supercharge it? All the sites I can find mostly recommend the exhaust or the motor, neither of which are the problem here.
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Jan 1, 2011 17:12
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grover posted:Classic symptom of a stoppage in the vent tubing. Check first to make sure it's not pinched behind your dryer, and that there's not a big lint dam in the bird screening where it exits your house. If your problem isn't there, it may take some more work to find the clog and fix it, but those are the two most likely places. Related, my lint trap gets gummed up with something every few months. When I notice that lint is only collecting on the very top inch of the screen and the dryer starts taking longer than usual, I know it's time to wash the trap out with soap and warm water. What's gumming it up? Softener sheet residue maybe?
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Jan 1, 2011 17:18
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eddiewalker posted:Related, my lint trap gets gummed up with something every few months. When I notice that lint is only collecting on the very top inch of the screen and the dryer starts taking longer than usual, I know it's time to wash the trap out with soap and warm water.
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Jan 1, 2011 17:23
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I want to replace my existing hallway light with recessed lighting. Is it as simple as cutting the hole and hooking up the existing wiring? Also, would a single can be a replacement for a standard 60w bulb-style light fixture? Would I need to install another one for more lighting? If so, can I just split the electrical and run another can?
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Jan 1, 2011 19:33
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TheQuietWilds posted:The clothes drier in my house seems to work, in that it turns on and everything, but it doesn't actually dry things very well. It basically tumbles and gets hot in there, but that doesn't seem actually dry anything. Are there any specific things I should check (not including lint trap and exhaust, which was the first thing I thought and checked)? If its just weak, is there any way to supercharge it? All the sites I can find mostly recommend the exhaust or the motor, neither of which are the problem here. I would just hire a lint extractor to clean out the whole tube. We generally have to do ours every 6 months because the dryer slowly becomes less and less efficient due to lint build up. Every time the guy comes out he says he took out a huge amount.
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Jan 2, 2011 00:08
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BorderPatrol posted:I want to replace my existing hallway light with recessed lighting. Is it as simple as cutting the hole and hooking up the existing wiring? How easy that will be depends on where the ceiling joists are and which direction they run. If you have a joist running dead center down your hallway, then you wouldn't be able to center the cans. An attic above that hallway would be nice too. Can lights are fairly directional and point straight down, so it wouldn't cover the same area as the old fixture. Most hallways have several cans down them for this reason. As for the electric work, yes you could just hook up the existing wiring, if there's enough slack. You could pigtail off of that for other fixtures in that hallway. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Jan 2, 2011 |
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Jan 2, 2011 00:12
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I'm actually taking on some responsibility in the next couple months (surprising for a goon) by actually choosing my own apartment, instead of having it taken care of by uni, parents, and employers. I have a couple questions: 1) I'm currently using a PUR faucet mounted water filter. It is a leaky pos. Any websites out there that offer a videocard like shootout? 2) I'm interested in eglass/smartglass, I take it the per footage price is still in the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars range. Anyone experimented with a DIY version? 3) Since option 2 is probably out, I know nothing about blinds, but know that I need a darker apartment than I already have in order to sleep better. I think I'd prefer motorized versions hooked up to some kind of automated system running on a linux server, but I'm mostly concerned about making it easy to block 100% of light and then be able to easily have 100% light. 4) I'm interested in electronic key locks (rfid? dongle/keypad), they are about 100-150 bucks where I live and I'm paranoid I'll lose my keys. How insecure are these?
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Jan 2, 2011 04:33
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politicorific posted:1) I'm currently using a PUR faucet mounted water filter. It is a leaky pos. Any websites out there that offer a videocard like shootout? 1) They're easier to fix than you think. First thing is to plug the drain so you don't lose any parts down it, then unscrew the whole thing from the faucet arm. It's probably just clogged with hard water. Take it apart and let the parts soak in something acidic, like vinegar or soda. ... Short of tacking a heavy blanket over a window, no blinds block 100% of the light. If you want something motorized/computer controlled, then look into home automation stuff like X10. 4) No apartment complex would like you changing their locks.
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Jan 2, 2011 05:59
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kid sinister posted:How easy that will be depends on where the ceiling joists are and which direction they run. If you have a joist running dead center down your hallway, then you wouldn't be able to center the cans. An attic above that hallway would be nice too. Well, we've got kind of an odd layout in our hallway.  This is a pretty small hallway, about 13ft long. The problem with the hallway now is that we have a pantry in there but when you open the door they wont swing past 90 degrees because it hits the hallway light, that why we're considering recessed lighting. I was planning on putting in a single light in the existing hole for right now. We have an attic and the beams run perpendicular to the length of the hallway, so positioning should be fine. The orange space is were I was planning on possibly installing a second light if possible. The ceiling is plaster but I should be able to figure it out. I would like to put one further up the hallway, near the top of the image. The problem is the attic access panel is almost in the middle of the top portion of the hallway. I could position one light about 6 inches from the access panel, but it would make getting into the attic difficult as the roof slopes behind it. Would 2 lights there be sufficient? The house is 60 years old, but we just had the bathroom remodeled with 4 recessed lights so I'm pretty sure the electrical can handle 2 or more lights in the hallway.
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Jan 2, 2011 06:07
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kid sinister posted:1) They're easier to fix than you think. First thing is to plug the drain so you don't lose any parts down it, then unscrew the whole thing from the faucet arm. It's probably just clogged with hard water. Take it apart and let the parts soak in something acidic, like vinegar or soda. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npUSd6RDtS4 They're poo poo, there are dozens of videos on youtube 4) I'm not in the US, these aren't apartment complexes and of course it'd be done with the permission of the guy I'd be renting from. They're becoming more an more common here in Korea.
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Jan 2, 2011 07:19
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BorderPatrol posted:
Who the hell designed that hallway?? 2 lights should do it. If you don't want to crawl over a hot can to get into your attic, why not move the hatch? Put it above those pantry doors, you'll be moving that fixture anyway. If you're moving a fixture, then the wiring probably won't reach. Put in a junction box with clamps near the fixture in the attic where the existing wiring would reach, then wire 2 runs off of that. Positioning for the existing fixture might not be fine straightaway. There's 3 ways to attach ceiling boxes to joists: side mount, pan mount, or back mount. Side mount boxes have a bracket on the sides of the box to attach to the side of the joist. If you got this, then you'll have to move your can over a little from the existing hole. Pan mount boxes are shallow enough to go between the underside of a joist and the surface of the plaster. If you got this, then you'll also need to move the can. Back mounted boxes have either a board or a steel bar on the box that goes between the joists on either side. If you got this, then you'll have to remove the joist spanner or move the can over.
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Jan 2, 2011 08:16
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Since can lights are focused straight down, they don't cover a lot of area, so you tend to need a lot more of them to get adequate coverage. The coverage area is a circle about equal to the height of the room. EG, if you have 8' ceilings, it will cover an 8' diameter circle on the floor. (If you were doing this in a kitchen and want light on the counters, than they'd need to be more like 4' apart.) If your hallways are longer than 8', or you want light on the walls, you'll need way more than 2 lights. It will also cast little light higher up on the wall- if your floor is bright white tile, a lot may be reflected, but if it's dark carpet, it will seem extremely dark. If you do this, you'll probably need to put in 3 or 4 lights. Also, they don't take normal bulbs, but special expensive reflector bulbs; since they're enclosed, the CFL version are designed for high temps and take a while to warm up so there's very little light when you first turn them on. (Normal bulbs will fit in a pinch, but without a reflector, you only get a fraction of the light that you should get, and it's darker still.) More info here: http://blog.lightingcatalog.com/?Tag=Recessed%20Lighting If you just want more light, I'd recommend surface-mount lights; the big boxes sell a number of nice (and inexpensive) low profile globes. There is no issue at all splicing two additional light fixtures from the one you have now. If you have attic access, they're easy to install and a good DIY project. (Can lights are a PITA, especially retrofit cans, which require all the wiring to be done through a tiny little hole and is virtually impossible to do properly, even for a pro.) grover fucked around with this message at 14:40 on Jan 2, 2011 |
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Jan 2, 2011 14:35
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I need to cut some 2x4s, plywood and metal or pvc siding for a few projects I'm working on. I don't currently own any power tools besides a drill. I was going to buy the cheapest circular saw Home Depot has, but before I thought I'd ask y'all since I have no idea what the right tool is for the job. All the cuts will be straight, nothing fancy.
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Jan 2, 2011 17:53
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politicorific posted:4) I'm not in the US, these aren't apartment complexes and of course it'd be done with the permission of the guy I'd be renting from. They're becoming more an more common here in Korea. Landlords in general frown on people changing their locks on them. The country you're in doesn't matter.
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Jan 2, 2011 20:49
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thepedestrian posted:I need to cut some 2x4s, plywood and metal or pvc siding for a few projects I'm working on. I don't currently own any power tools besides a drill. I was going to buy the cheapest circular saw Home Depot has, but before I thought I'd ask y'all since I have no idea what the right tool is for the job. All the cuts will be straight, nothing fancy. If you didn't have to cut the plywood, I'd say get a handsaw miter box but with the plywood, circular saw is probably the best choice. Check out Craigslist
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Jan 3, 2011 03:29
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thepedestrian posted:I need to cut some 2x4s, plywood and metal or pvc siding for a few projects I'm working on. I don't currently own any power tools besides a drill. I was going to buy the cheapest circular saw Home Depot has, but before I thought I'd ask y'all since I have no idea what the right tool is for the job. All the cuts will be straight, nothing fancy.
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Jan 3, 2011 03:38
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I forgot to mention the length, but the hallway I'm looking at putting recessed lighting in is only 13 feet long. The clearance from the hallway pantry doors to the ceiling is about 2 inches so I don't think I'll find a flush mount light that will work (unless it's LED). I'm considering scrapping the recessed lighting idea now. We are planning on selling the house in 6 months time (I was painting the hallway this weekend and that's why the lighting idea came up) and I'm not sure I want to risk screwing something up in the celling and start dumping money to fix it. Not to mention the house still has the original wiring from the 50's and I'm sure it may disintegrate at any time. Question is, would a 4-5 light curved track lighting kit be a good option? It won't solve my door problem, but I think I can provide more light to the hallway due to it's shape. My only concern is the lighting is somewhat directional, and I'm not sure if track lighting is conventional in a hallway (thinking resale).
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Jan 3, 2011 06:56
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thepedestrian posted:I need to cut some 2x4s, plywood and metal or pvc siding for a few projects I'm working on. I don't currently own any power tools besides a drill. I was going to buy the cheapest circular saw Home Depot has, but before I thought I'd ask y'all since I have no idea what the right tool is for the job. All the cuts will be straight, nothing fancy. If you're not going to be using the circular saw much, that Ryobi will suit you just fine. They're surprisingly durable for being the cheapest tools at HD. If you think you're going to be needing it a bit more often, definitely step up to a $70-100 saw.
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Jan 3, 2011 18:36
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BorderPatrol posted:I forgot to mention the length, but the hallway I'm looking at putting recessed lighting in is only 13 feet long. The clearance from the hallway pantry doors to the ceiling is about 2 inches so I don't think I'll find a flush mount light that will work (unless it's LED). 50's wiring should still be in good shape. My place was built in 1956 I converted my entire house to 3-prong outlets last May-June after discovering that the original romex was 14 with ground. If your door clearance is only 2 inches, then how tall is the ceiling in that hallway? Curved track lighting might not be a good idea if it can be easily reached. Those bars are energized.
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Jan 3, 2011 19:12
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kid sinister posted:50's wiring should still be in good shape. My place was built in 1956 I converted my entire house to 3-prong outlets last May-June after discovering that the original romex was 14 with ground. It's a standard 8 foot ceiling. The doors for the pantry go all the way to the top though, higher than the entry way doors. Edit: Here's a picture.  I just remeasured, the clearance from the top of the door in the pantry there to the ceiling is 2 1/2 inches. You can also see my attic access panel in the background there. I am standing under where the proposed 2nd pot light would be if I wanted to put one in. (I took the doors off to paint them, artists rendition) Other Side:  2nd light would go between the existing light and the fart door. FCKGW fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Jan 3, 2011 |
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Jan 3, 2011 20:06
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I have a single bed frame, old metal style, with wheels. There is a box spring between the mattress and the frame. The box spring is ancient, falling apart, and I'm starting to notice a mustiness. I really want to get rid of it but cannot afford a new one or an entirely new bedframe like from IKEA with the wood slats. Is it possible to just get a flat piece of wood to fit between the frame and the mattress? Would it support my weight? I don't care about the lowered height.
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Jan 4, 2011 02:24
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Hell yes you can. 3/4-inch plywood cut to size. I spent many years sleeping on that poo poo Edit: do you weigh 300 pounds though?
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Jan 4, 2011 02:28
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slap me silly posted:Hell yes you can. 3/4-inch plywood cut to size. I spent many years sleeping on that poo poo Not even close.  I'm about 145-150 and it doesn't vary much.
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Jan 4, 2011 02:31
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thepedestrian posted:I need to cut some 2x4s, plywood and metal or pvc siding for a few projects I'm working on. I don't currently own any power tools besides a drill. I was going to buy the cheapest circular saw Home Depot has, but before I thought I'd ask y'all since I have no idea what the right tool is for the job. All the cuts will be straight, nothing fancy. Hit up your local pawn shops too as well as craigslist like dwoloz said. I've seen circular saws at thrift stores too.
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Jan 4, 2011 03:08
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Here's a hint when you go to cut it - make it 3 inches shorter than the mattress in the long dimension so you don't destroy your shins.
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Jan 4, 2011 03:10
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I've built some cubicle walls and I need to attach them to a concrete slab. Some can be attached to both the floor and wall, 3 can only be attached to the floor (they are next to a giant window). Googling found me several options, the heaviest duty of which seems to be lag screws w/lag shield anchors. Other choices are Tapcon screws, and concrete nails. Unfortunately I don't own a hammer drill nor one of those guns for driving in concrete screws. So my questions are: Can I get buy with a cordless impact drill or do I really need to buy a corded? I have five walls that are 6x6 feet. Do I have any better options for securing the walls?
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Jan 4, 2011 05:10
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Xoobee posted:I have a single bed frame, old metal style, with wheels. There is a box spring between the mattress and the frame. The box spring is ancient, falling apart, and I'm starting to notice a mustiness. I really want to get rid of it but cannot afford a new one or an entirely new bedframe like from IKEA with the wood slats. Check craigslist for softside waterbeds. People sell them dirt cheap (or even give them away) and they have box springs and you might even score a base unit that has drawers in it. You can just throw away the "mattress" part of the bed and use your current mattress, or you can fill it up with water, pop in some Bananarama, and sleep like it is 1987. Just be careful about sitting on it with your parachute pants because all those zippers might poke a hole in it. Skunkduster fucked around with this message at 06:17 on Jan 4, 2011 |
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Jan 4, 2011 06:15
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wormil posted:I've built some cubicle walls and I need to attach them to a concrete slab. Some can be attached to both the floor and wall, 3 can only be attached to the floor (they are next to a giant window). Googling found me several options, the heaviest duty of which seems to be lag screws w/lag shield anchors. Other choices are Tapcon screws, and concrete nails. Unfortunately I don't own a hammer drill nor one of those guns for driving in concrete screws. Anchors are the best choice I can think of I have a cordless Milwaukee hammer drill that would do the job; cordless should be fine but you may burn through batteries, best to have a few in rotation
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Jan 4, 2011 07:27
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slap me silly posted:Here's a hint when you go to cut it - make it 3 inches shorter than the mattress in the long dimension so you don't destroy your shins. Thx for that, sometimes I don't see the obvious...
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Jan 4, 2011 18:13
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